Here We Are
by ArchelionGen
Summary: Alliance Captain fallen from glory, trying to claw his way out of the hole that he has dug. Along the way he finds other things that make life worth living. No Major Character from ME1, ME2, ME3 or ME Andromeda. *Recommend average knowlede of Mass Effect Universe before reading
1. Chapter 1 Fallen

Chapter 1

"Fallen"

"No man ever achieved worthwhile success who did not, at one time or other, find himself with at least one foot hanging well over the brink of failure"

-Napoleon Hill

"Captain, you will be stripped of your rank and command. From this point on you will be Commander Benjamin Wolf and will report to Captain Arterious with the joint fleet. Consider yourself lucky Commander, most people would be dishonorably discharged, but we took into consideration your admirable service record upto this point. Do you have any questions, Commander?" Wolf scanned the faces of the board, before shaking his head in disgrace. "No, sir, I do not" he said, trying to hide his remorse. "Then Commander, you are dismissed and are to report to the _Houston_ tomorrow." Wolf bowed his head slightly, before stepping off the raised podium he stood on. Turning around, he could almost feel the eyes of the admiralty board burning a hole in his back. They had every right to strip him of his command and take his bars. It didn't lessen the injury to his pride, however. Wolf continued his walk of shame from the Admiralty Board's chambers and out into the busy streets of London.

Wolf looked around at the towering skyscrapers and sighed deeply. He barely ever made it back home to Earth the entirety of his six-year service with the Alliance. There was never any reason for him to visit he had no family and everyone he cared about was out in the galaxy. Some were military and others were outcasts like him. His opinion of those who lived on Earth was quite low, matched maybe by his opinion of those who lived on the Citadel. He gritted his teeth as he remembered the giant space station - the lost sight of the real dangers and problems of the galaxy. The Council refused to make the hard decisions that needed to be made. All the Citadel residents talked about was parties and local politics. Meanwhile, soldiers like him were fighting wars to keep them comfortable. He and his men were the ones who stood the line against the horrors of the galaxy, not the politicians.

Entering a nearby taxi, he entered the name of his hotel on the prompt screen in the cab. Acknowledging with a chirp,the cab lifted from the ground and took off towards the heart of London. He couldn't help but let his mind languish in what had just happened as he watched the buildings zip by. London was beautiful in a way, as much as he hated the city The buildings shimmered in the setting sun and the nightlife began to peek out from around the corner. London was known for its clubs and bars. They were some of the major party scenes for the wealthy and powerful of the city. One bar he frequented in particular during his trips to Earth had a massive marble lobby, adorned with large innate supports and filled with soft piano music. It reminded him of the old ways, when Earth had class and was filled with the people who would stand up and do what was right, no matter the consequences. That's how Wolf viewed himself, as someone who would do what needed to be done. He was 6'2" and muscular - not many people told him what to do. Whatever he couldn't usually solve through brute force, he'd resolve with a silver tongue. His ways of being diplomatic had gotten him far in the Alliance and helped him rub shoulders with all the right people. It'd been a skill that aided him in getting his command; he had several high-ranking officials vouch for his character. Of course, it didn't matter now, they all recused themselves from his current predicament.

The hotel lobby was calming, filled with the soft sound of piano music that Wolf had so enjoyed. It was usually a good backdrop for drinking his problems away. At least that was the case during his divorce. Even thinking about her gave him a bad taste in his mouth. A taste that required a drink, now that he thought about it. Wolf quickly made his way to the bar, where an eager quarian awaited his request. "Can I get you anything sir?" she asked. Wolf couldn't help but smile at her. Even under her environmental suit, he could hear her intrigue. Or maybe he was imagining it. He always liked quarians. They were honest and generally to the point. He had always wanted to be with one and now seemed like as good a time as any. Not like he had a reputation to worry about anymore with the Alliance. He had sunk as low as he could. "I can think of a few things, but let's start with an Earth whiskey neat," Wolf said with a sly smirk. The female quarian chuckled a little, acknowledging his subtly. "One whiskey coming up." She turned from the counter, grabbing a tumbler from the shelf and a bottle of brown liquid. The mark of a good bartender was how they poured the whiskey. It couldn't be too fast where it would splash on to the sides of the glass but it couldn't be too slow either, where the customer would get impatient. The quarian poured the whiskey with grace, being careful to keep the glass as neat as possible. Putting the bottle down, she grabbed a napkin from the cart next to her and placed it onto the bar, the glass on top of it. "There you are. If you need anything else, let me know," she said chipperly. She then turned away, walking to another customer.

Wolf grabbed the glass and began to sip the whiskey slowly. He looked down to find something written on his napkin that almost took him by surprise. _"__I get off at 1900, met me out front."_ He had never known a quarian to be so forward before. Usually, most females enjoyed a little cat and mouse, but not this one, apparently. Then again, there was a reason he liked quarians - they were usually honest and forward. Smiling at the note, he looked up at the bartender to find her keeping a watchful eye on him as she talked to her other customer. She was paying just enough attention to the turian to get his order and pour his drink. He couldn't help a nagging feeling something was off about her though.. Quarians were generally xenophobic and not exactly big on interspecies relationships. Of course, what he had in mind wasn't a relationship, but even a night with a human could be deadly to them. Wolf tried to push the concern from his mind as best he could, though he was naturally suspicious by nature. Pulling up his omni tool, he looked at the time, trying to see how much longer he had to wait. It was already 1848, so he didn't have enough time to change out of uniform before meeting the bartendern. Which reminded him - he didn't even know her name.

Approaching him again, she looked at his glass and then met his eyes. "Do you need anything else, before shift change?" she asked, slightly tilting her head. "Yes actually, I just have one question. What's your name?" he asked with a slight smile. "Solae," she chirped again, then walked off towards the end of the bar where she met another male turian that he assumed was her replacement. Wolf stood up from the bar and started walking back to the lobby of the hotel. He assumed she would find him, at least that's how it sounded. He paced calmly around the lobby, waiting for his new friend to show up.

Whilst being behind the bar, Wolf hadn't realized how appealing Solae's figure was. She caught his eye as soon as she stepped out from a door reading "Staff Only" across the lobby. Her slender figure was one that you'd find on a goddess statue in Ancient Greece. Most men would probably try to win her favor if she wasn't a quarian, an unfortunate reality in the galaxy. Most viewed them as thieves and vermin and they were hardly acknowledged as existing when seen in public, treated more like a fixture on the street than anything.

"Hey," Solae said nervously.

"Hey back, you look incredible. I'm surprised I've never met you before, how long have you been working here?"

"I've been here for about two years or so. I've seen you a couple times. Always thought you were quite charming, from what I overheard. You sometimes had other women with you. I assume that's why you don't remember me." She chuckled half-heartedly.

"Ah, yes. Those were business-related, believe it or not."

"Not," she answered jokingly.

He laughed, picking up on her sarcasm. "And you have a sense of humor, got the whole package going on, huh?"

"I do work at a bar, you almost have to have a tainted sense of humor. It might as well be on the job posting."

Smiling, Wolf touched the small of her back and suggested in a nonverbal way that they go somewhere else. Solae just smiled and let him lead her.

"Where are we going?" she asked coyly.

"I figured me and you could go have a drink at a private little bar I know of. I hear the drinks are cheap and I know the owner." He chuckled lightly while escorting her in to one of the main elevators in the lobby.

Pushing the 20th-floor button once inside, the lift shot up the hotel tower. "So, what brings you all the way to London?" he asked.

"I'd love to say it was a part of my pilgrimage, but that would be a lie," she responded with disgrace in her voice.

"I feel like there is a big story there. Would you mind telling me about it? As long as I'm not being too nosy?" Wolf requested.

The lift dinged and was followed by a soft female voice notifying its passengers they had arrived at their selected floor. Wolf led Solae from the lift and into the marble-floored hallway of the suites in the hotel.

"No, you're fine. I don't mind talking about it. It's just not one of my finer moments." She shrugged and continued to be led by Wolf to a door labeled 155. He fumbled around in the depths of his breast pocket in search of his hotel key. Pulling out the small chit, he slipped it across a metallic surface, making it chime a cheerful tune.

No longer than it took for Wolf to close the door behind him, than Solae began taking off pieces of her biosuit. Wolf stopped, completely shocked as he turned from the door. The quarian's beauty was more than what he had originally thought. Not many people alive have ever seen a quarian without their masks on. Considering their inability to function for long periods in non-sterile environments, it was a very rare privilege to see.

"Are you going to be alright?" Wolf asked with despair in his voice.

Solae dropped her mask on the floor as she slowly approached Wolf. "I'll be fine. I'm ...more resilient than most quarians, but you're sweet for being concerned." She smiled as she caressed his face.

Solae ran her gloved fingers over Wolf's beard stubble, almost fascinated by the sensation. Pulling her hand from his face, she took her glove off and began to run her hand across his face again. Not much surprised Wolf, but Solae's reaction to the sensation was surprising. She had a smile that ran from ear to ear.

"Am I to assume you don't touch people this way a lot?" Wolf asked with curiosity.

"You're the first human I've ever been with. I've wanted to do that from the day I saw you." She laughed nervously, still touching his face softly. He grabbed her hand, gently putting it to her side as he leaned in to kiss her. His lips met hers, taking her by surprise. She hadn't expected humans' lips to be so soft and moist. He continued to kiss her as he reached his arm around her, pulling her closer. Slowly, his lips began to peck down her neck as he peeled off her biosuit from her skin. She trembled at every feeling against her bare skin, as if it had been the first time she had ever felt anything.


	2. Chapter 2 Next

Chapter 2  
"Reminders"

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."  
-Dwight D. Eisenhower

-

Wolf cringed at the red rays of light peeking through the shades of the hotel room. One thing he had forgotten about, being stationed aboard a cruiser was sunsets. In orbit around planets, it was either always dark or always light and hardly had to worry about the rotation of the planet. It had at least been 5 years since Wolf was planetside for more than a few hours. Space provided him a sense of comfort in a way, so he tried to spend as much time in it as possible. As empty and as cold as space is, he just felt more comfortable there then he did on a planet. He told everyone that it was because he was dedicated to his work and enjoyed what he did that he never wanted to leave.

Turning over and away from the sunlight, Wolf faced Solae who was laying in bed with her bio-suit still off. Panicked Wolf sat up in the bed and began to shake Solae.

"Hey, are you alright?" Wolf said panicked.

Solae jumped and turned to face Wolf confused. "Yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing? You have any idea how early it is?" She squinted at Wolf, looking confused and slightly irritated.

"Nevermind that! Why don't you have your biosuit on? You could die!" Wolf jumped up from the bed and gathered her biosuit which had been laying on the floor, by the foot of the bed.

Solae chuckled once and sat up from the bed, rubbing her eyes. "I'm fine. I don't always need it."

"What do you mean? I thought Quarians needed the suit as an immune system?" Wolf looked more confused than ever as he scratched his beard in angst.

She paused for a second and looked at him with amusement. "Most Qurian's need the suit, yes. Some of us have an uncommonly strong immune system, but it isn't strong enough to not use the suit altogether. I'm one of those few."

Wolf still struggled to grasp the new information, but instantly looked less concerned. Taking a deep breath he sat down on the end of the bed, lightly grabbing Solae's foot and rubbing it gently.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a puzzled stare.

"What?" He said looking over at his hand as it stopped rubbing her feet through the sheets. "Oh!" He laughed. "Sorry, it's just something humans do." He lifted his hand from her foot and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I didn't want it to stop, I just never had anyone do it before. It felt nice." She said with a voice that was in between playful and sultry.

Turning to quickly assess her facial expression, he smiled and placed his hand back on her foot. Slowly he stroked her foot and then her calf. The slow-motion had Solae entranced as she laid back down on her back and closed her eyes. Wolf watched her smile as he drifted up to her thigh and began kissing her inner thigh. "Can't we have just this one nice moment." She chuckled whilst not even opening her eyes to look at him.

"I feel like we had more than several nice moments last night." He stated looking devilishly at her with an ear to ear smirk.

She soured her face and peered down at Wolf as he stopped mid-thigh. "You're lucky you're cute."

Wolf laughed, before beginning to kiss up her thigh once again. Slowly he made his way up her bare leg when she stopped him with her hand. "I can't. I have to get to my other job and I think I recall you being someone of importance in the military."

Sighing deeply his eyes met hers in disappointment. "I was trying to forget that fact, to be honest."

"Something tells me if you didn't show up, they would send someone looking for you." She laughed.

"Yes, sadly." Wolf gave her thigh one last kiss before getting up from the bed and grabbing his uniform from the nearby chair. He slid his uniform blouse on and rotated his shoulders, attempting to stretch the fabric back out. The uniform never fit properly, because of his shoulder size he needed a larger uniform, but it'd be too baggy around the stomach. Wolf then pulled on his pants and was careful to line up his gig line, which was the line of the blouse and the zipper of the pants. The military was particular on their standards for uniforms in basic training and was something that was forever ingrained in his mind.

"Will I see you again tonight?" Solae asked, still lying naked on the bed.

Wolf turned to face her, taking another taxed sigh. "No, unfortunately, my ship leaves today and I'm unsure when I'll be back to earth." It bothered him to sound like a man that was trying to run away from a one night stand, but it was the truth. He just hoped she believed it was the truth.

"Well, that's unfortunate. Will you come to see me, the next time you're in town at least?" She said, disappointed.

"Of course, as long as you'll have me?"

The disappointment washed from her face, by a playful smile. "I'll have you anywhere I can get you."

"Then I'll be here." He smirked and winked at her.  
She shook her head and smiled. "Alright, now get. I need a shower and still got to get together for work."

"Yes, ma'am!" Wolf snapped to attention, before heading to the hotel room door. Looking back at Solae, before opening the door he smiled at her before walking out.

It had been a long time since Wolf genuinely enjoyed the company of another person. Most of the night was physical, but she was smart, funny, and beautiful. It was a rare combination in his experience.

The farther away from the room he got, the harder his feelings pulled him back to the room. In a time where his life seemed to fall apart, she came from nowhere and now he was leaving. He couldn't help, but wonder what he would do about it? They really would send MP's to come to get him and take him to the Brigg. Like most of the rest of his life, duty came first.

He'd never had a family, friends, a home to call his own. He came from nowhere and lived everywhere, he'd found ways to push out the need for other people his entire life. Barriers separated him from everyone else around him, he considered it the only way to survive. Growing up emotions and feelings got you hurt and in trouble. He learned to shove them down deep and to forget about them, making him the perfect soldier. He obeyed orders without hesitation, it wasn't that it didn't cross his mind, but that he couldn't afford to show his beliefs. It had made him numb.

He'd joined the military at 17 and had been there ever since. It gave him his purpose in life and organized his goals for him. He was told that advancement was the way to go through the ranks and he bought it. He continued his career to Captain without ever breaking an order or reprimand. At least that's how it used to be.

Everything changed for him when he got command of the Houston. The men on board were his responsibility and he treated them like they were his kin. If he had ever had kin. He was loyal to them and them to him. It's what made the decision that lost him the ship infinitely harder. They told him in command school that they would have to make decisions that would risk people and their own lives. They said it would be hard, but not life-changing. It haunted him. Every minute of every day, he can see their faces. He embraced the numbness he felt every day now. Until last night. Something was different about him, he just didn't know what. He felt something again and it wasn't sadness or resentment, but stability for the first time in months.

Wolf hurried himself to a cab and got himself to the drydock where he was serving his "sentence" aboard his ship with a new crew. All of them for sure knowing his background and what he has done. He was supposed to command these men, whilst knowing that they would question every decision he made from this point on. Granted all his decisions would run through the Captain first, but still even small judgments would be challenged for a while at least.

As Wolf's cab cut through the sky of London, he watched the sun ever-steady peak over the horizon. It was a beautiful start to an odd day. The sun highlighted Houston as she hovered in the sky above the London bay. A beautiful cruiser that he once prided himself on being in command of. She was an experimental cruiser designed with Turian, Salarian, and Human ingenuity. The weapon systems were mostly Turian in design and matched most Battleships that any fleet had. Granted they didn't match the Turian Battleships, but close. The Salarians managed to give her a full system suite with backups, just in case of hacks in through the firewall. In smaller words, she was the pride of most of the human fleet as far as Heavy Cruisers went. The overall aesthetic of the ship was mostly human with large runs of Turian design around the engines and cockpit. She was a heavily armored war machine, and she was home.

The cab landed in the hanger of the Houston and let him out into the familiar smell of his hangar bay. He could smell the grease and the burnt fuel from the fighters. He would walk the hanger bay all the time when he couldn't sleep and look out upon the stars. The vast emptiness reminded him of how small his problems were and provided his mind some comfort.

"Commander, welcome back aboard." Captain Arternrious stood in the doorway to the hallway, leading from the hanger bay. The Arternrious was a man that Wolf respected deeply. He had been his counterpart aboard the Houston for many years before receiving his command of a military installation out in the expanse.

"Captain, it's good to see you again." Wolf lowered his gaze and walked to shake John's hand/

"Ben, get out of here with that. Just because you are under my command, doesn't mean you aren't still my mentor." John grabbed Wolf's hand and pulled him in for a pat on the back.

"You sure you want to admit

to that around your new crew?" Wolf, kept his gaze low trying to graciously accept the welcome from John. "As a new Captain of a ship you need your crew to have confidence in you. Don't know if I will make that easy." He said defeated.

"Ben, you are my mentor and friend. Despite what everyone says, I still trust you with my life and my command as well. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked for you." John said, leading Wolf into the hallway of the hangar.

"You asked for me?" He said, looking shocked. They began to walk down the hallway at each other's side.

"Ben, after I heard what happened I was surprised. You had to make a decision and a lot of people feel it was the wrong one. Command isn't easy and you taught me that. I've lost good men to hard decisions that I doubt still today. I know you wouldn't have made that decision if you had any other choice." Said John as they both walked swiftly down the hallway to the elevator.

"I don't know." Wolf said quietly, trying to avoid the topic.

"It's alright if you ever want to talk about it come and see me. My door is always open to you Ben." John and Wolf, both stepped into the elevator. John pushed the button for the command deck and the crew quarters button. "Go get settled in and when you are done, come back up. We got to get you introduced to the crew. Some of these guys are mine from previous commands so I need you all to know each other." The elevator ringed as it approached the command deck. Captain Arternrious stiffened up and straightened his uniform before the doors opened. "Commander." He said as he stepped off the elevator, the doors closing behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
"Old Wounds"

"Some wounds run too deep for the healing."  
― J.K. Rowling

* * *

Wolf stepped into the sparse cabin, that he had just been assigned. It was smaller than what he was used to, but most Officers had nowhere near the size of Captain's quarters on most ships. It could be worse he thought, at least he wasn't enlisted and sleeping in main barracks or shared rooms.

The room came complete with a single bed, desk, bathroom and a port-side window staring out on to the stars. Wolf personally enjoyed having a window in his quarters, but in unnerved others being aboard a military vessel. Windows were a structural weakness and generally the first thing to give way in a battle, sucking anything and everyone out that is in the room before emergency shields take effect. Fortunately, he didn't plan on being in his room during a battle so it didn't bother him. He enjoyed watching the stars late at night when he couldn't sleep. He imagined himself drifting through space, exploring the far reaches of space. It soothed his nightmares and constant thoughts that flowed through his aging mind.

Walking into the quarters he threw his bag on his bunk and walked to the bathroom, stepping in front of the sink. He turned on the water, then splashed his face as if to wash off the days of exhaustion and worry. Looking back up into the mirror he sighed as he caught a glimpse of his face. Stubble began to grow around his chin and cheeks, dark bags underlined his eyes and his expression was blank. He couldn't believe the shell of himself he had staring back at him. He needed sleep and a shower, but he had to get on the bridge and show that he was up to the task of being EXO.

Standing straight Wolf dried his face, adjusted his uniform and straightened his nameplate. At the very least he was going to try to look respectable. He left his quarters walking with a steady and focused pace towards the bridge. His walk always resembled how he was as a person in general, straight forward, with purpose, and confidence. Regardless of his outlook on himself, he demanded respect from those under him.

Passing crewmen in the hallway they stopped, snapping to attention with a salute and silence. Wolf could tell it was an uneasy salute and respect only afforded to him via his rank. They didn't know him or trust him with the stories they had probably been told. On some level, he didn't blame them, but he was going to try and be the best he could be.

"EXO on the bridge!" An analyst announced, standing up from his chair and saluting. "As you were gentleman," Wolf announced giving them a motion to be seated again. The crew of approximately 15 manning the bridge all say back down at their stations except a few Officers. The bridge was a semi welcome sight, as it was something familiar that gave him a small bit of comfort, and some anxiety.

The bridge of the Houston was typical military-style, outlying stations in an oval with a command area in the center rear and a set of chairs for the pilot and copilot at the front. Bulkheads separated the bridge from the adjoined sensor suite housed on the command deck as well. Most main systems except for the engines and weapons were centered near the command deck. The main quarters were mostly on the outside of the ship's main systems. Never publicly admitted, but they provided some protection for the main systems. In the statistics eyes, it was better to lose non-vital areas first.

"Commander Wolf, welcome back aboard. Did you get settled in?" Captain (Name) asked, appearing beside him. "Yes, sir," Wolf replied. "Good, then let's get you up to speed on what our mission is," Arterious said, leading Wolf to the command chairs. Arterious say down in the center chair, gesturing Wolf to join him in the chair next to him. Wolf sat in the chair next to him, as Arterious brought up a small holo-screen in front of them. "We are set to go and enforce outer colonies. They have been under attack from pirates recently and are agreeing to join the counsel planets if we provide support. So our mission is for protection and to reinforce their security and also to build a station there to house a platoon of our soldiers." Arterious said, but Wolf knew him well enough to see he was holding something back. "Why do I feel like there is a but?" Wolf spoke quietly, leaning near Arterious. Looking around he sighed, careful to make sure nobody else was listening. "Well, the colony is a Turian colony." Wolf looked puzzled at Arterious. "It's complicated. This colony is a Turian race, but they aren't exactly excepted by the hierarchy. So the Turians refuse to send them aid." Arterious said quietly. "So we are out here winning hearts and minds?" Wolf replied. "Yes and no, it's more or less political." Arterious rolled his eyes.

The Turians were very proud people and prided themselves on their sacrifice for the entirety of the species. The idea that an entire colony would abandon that idea, must be pretty embarrassing to the Turians, but then again many of them became mercenaries. It would make sense the hierarchy wouldn't help the colony, but what purpose does the Alliance have trying to win their favor? Also, why risk complicating our relationship with the Turians? Wolf was a soldier and was expected to not question orders and the last time he did it cost him dearly, but it was curious. Pirates being too much for a colony of Turians to handle? The most warrior minded race in the galaxy, being hassled by pirates was unlikely.

"Sir, we are approaching the Mass Relay, ready to jump on your order." The helmsman stated. "Very well, set destination and spin up the drive Helmsman Jameson," Arterious ordered. A faint hum reverberated through the ship as the Mass Effect drive spun up getting ready to connect to the Mass Relay. Houston had her feel and personality. The vibration was a bit higher than most ships since Wolf had them realign the core supports. The upgrades were suggested by a technician he had met on Omega. He worked for the Alliance as a ship engineer but found more profit in making ships for Cerberus. By far Cerberus had superior technology and design than the Alliance and it showed. There were a few other changes that Wolf thought was beneficial to keep off the books. Most increased efficiency of the main systems, but one or two were for his benefit. The Alliance doesn't generally approve of custom modifications on vessels outside the shipyards, but circumstances arose that required some adapting.

The Houston shuttered for a few seconds as it entered the relay, launching the ship thousands of light-years towards its destination. "I don't remember the Houston shuttering during Mass relay jump?" Wolf said with worry for his ship. "The new engineer is still getting used to the systems, apparently there are some modifications done to Houston, but I'm sure you wouldn't know anything about it. Like I don't." He laughed, looking over to Wolf. The shutter stopped as the Houston hurtled through space and leveled out to Faster Than Light. "Where exactly is this colony at? I know it's on the outer rim, but where exactly?" Wolf asked. "According to the navigation charts, it's right outside the Turian borders near a gas giant." Arterious shrugged.

The Houston shuttered again as it dropped from FTL to the nearest relay in Palaven's system. Wolf shook his head at the shutter, feeling this new engineer would kill his ship. His last engineer was an artist with the Houston and made her purr like a kitten. Unfortunately, most of his old crew was either dead or was reassigned elsewhere. Many of them refused to talk to Wolf after his dismissal, more or less afraid to be dragged down with him. He didn't blame them. Many of them went on to be Captains and Commanders, he didn't want to be responsible for any ill will put on them. They all did as they were told and were loyal to him till the end, at least the end of his command.

The Houston pointed away from Palaven and started it's 2-hour journey to the outer rim of the system. Arterious stood up from his chair and turned to Wolf. "From here it's a waiting game, I recommend you take this time to get some sleep, Ben." He said quietly, realizing he was speaking as a friend. "You look like shit." He chuckled softly. Wolf smiled, appreciating him trying to look out for him. "If it's okay with you I'd like to get straight to work. It'll help me sleep better." Wolf said looking up at Arterious. "Yeah sure, if you want I need section reports from all systems aboard and a manifest of what we brought back on board during our dry dock." Wolf nodded, getting up and saluting. (Captain nodded and saluted back, dismissing Wolf.

Wolf walked steadily through the ship to engineering as his first stop. He was going to use this excuse to meet the mad man abusing his ship. Scoffing to himself, he imagined some snotty kid thinking he knew everything under the sun because he had gone to the academy for engineering. Generally, that's all that was left when it came to new engineers. Most veteran engineers wanted to stay assigned to the vessels they started on, unfortunately for him.

Stepping into the engine room the strong odor of burning electronics hit him immediately. Walking farther into the engine room, he found a small-framed woman crawling around a large stabilizer with a wrench. She coughed once or twice as a small puff of smoke coming from a small sensor nearby. "Are you trying to burn down my ship?" He said, scaring her into bumping her head on a bulkhead above her. She hissed in pain holding her red hair back, trying to soothe the pain. She wasn't what he expected at all from his lead engineer. Couldn't have been more than 26 years old, long red hair, small frame and cursed like a sailor. "Shit! Commander, I'm sorry you scared me. If I would have known, you were coming I would have held off on the stabilizer modifications." She said

while snapping to attention. Wolf dismissed her, "If I told you I was coming I wouldn't be able to see you in your natural environment Lt. is it?" She nodded, attempting to straighten her collar to show her bars. "Yes, sir. I just recently got a promotion and my name is Shelby Strickland in case you were wondering, I apologize I don't have my nameplate on. These are my fatigues." Wolf could sense if he didn't stop her she would nervously continue to ramble on. "LT. Strickland, you can relax I'm not here to bind you up. I'm getting station reports for the Captain and trying to get to know my section hands." She nodded again. "Yes, sir. I'm just flustered I apologize, but I'm sure you don't want to hear about my problems." "Lt. that's why I am here." Wolf chuckled. Nervously the Lt. began to pace a little. "Of course sir. Sorry. It's just the Houston is new to me. I've worked on these class ships before, but she's been modified a lot. Most of these systems I've never seen and they didn't teach us about these in the academy." Shaking his head Wolf could see why the relays were so rough. "I understand Lt., most of these modifications were done at my request. Would it help if I could get you a full manual for these systems?" She stopped her pacing staring with surprise at Wolf. "That would be amazing Commander, but I don't want to put you out of your way or anything. I'm sure in time I could figure these out, but it would greatly shorten my learning curb if you could get me that manual if you know who did the mods?" Wolf nodded with a smirk. "I can get it for you, it'll just take a little doing." Lt. Strickland looked relieved, hearing the news. "I'll let you get back to work Lt. I'll let you know what I figure out." He saluted her again and began to walk away. "Commander! You forgot to take my section report!" She said fumbling her hands over her omni-tool. In a few seconds Wolf's Omni-Tool lite up with a message from the Lt. "Thank you Lt" She nodded again before cutting off the Commander. "If you want you can just call me Shelby. Sir." She said with a crooked smile hoping to ease the uneasy conversation. "Okay then Shelby, I'll come to check back in later." Wolf smiled, before walking out of the engine room.

Stepping on to the lift from the engine compartment Wolf began his walk to check in with the Armory. When he was in command he spent a good portion of his time there, generally outdoing his own Armory Officer at the time. He spent most of his downtime modifying his weapons and testing them. He liked the quiet and working with his hands. It was one of the few times that he wasn't the Captain and able to complete the task himself. He used to joke about that was how he remained sane sometimes.

"Commander." A deep voice, void of emotion came from behind Wolf as he walked into the Armory. Wolf turned to see a wall of a man behind him that had just come out from a storage closet. "You must be Corporal Johnson I presume?" The dark-skinned man stepped fully into the hallway taking up most of the space. His hair cut short and face slightly scared told more than enough about the man. Wolf's best guess was he was infantry at one time and made his way up the ranks. It wasn't an easy task to work your way as an enlisted man to be a section chief. "Yes sir, Corporal Ray Johnson Armory Officer." Snapping at attention with a crisp salute. "You're at ease Corporal, you don't have to be so formal with me," Wolf replied. "If it's all the same to you, sir, I would rather it remain so." Cpl. Johnson remained emotionless and at attention. "Of that's what you wish Corporal. Have I done something to slight you, Corporal?" Wolf said, slightly puzzled crossing his arms behind his back and widening his stance. "No, sir." Johnson remained at attention looking Wolf directly in the eye, something that probably has worked to scare most Officers he didn't care for in the past. "Alright, I'm here for your section report Corporal." Johnson nodded bringing his arm up and swiping over his Omni-Tool, sending his report. "Very well Corporal, I'll leave you to it," Wolf replied as Johnson stepped aside letting him walk down the hallway from which he came. "Sir," Johnson said as Wolf walked by him.

Wolf had been in the military long enough to know when you hate your commanding officer, but you have to respect the rank that's what it sounds like. It's a fine balance of sarcasm and respect that won't get you a court-martial. Johnson had something against him, but he wasn't sure what though. Now wasn't the time to find out, fortunately. It came with the territory of command to not like some of the command, but generally, he knew why. It made him uncomfortable when he didn't know. It was the principle that if you were to hold something against someone that you were upfront about why you were holding it against them. He was always honest with whomever when he had a problem, that way everyone knew where they stood.

Finishing up in medical getting his section reports he headed to the bridge to give his findings to Arterious. Sitting back down in his chair he handed his report to Arterious. "So what do you think of our crew?" Arterious asked. They seem capable from the reports, but I have my concerns with a few. "I see; I'm assuming one of them may be Corporal Johnson our Armory Officer?" Wolf's face scowled for a second at Arterious. "How'd you know?" Arterious shifted in his chair and sighed. "His brother was your Armory Officer Ben. Didn't recognize the name or hell, even the facial features?" Wolf's heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach. He was right. He looked just like Steven Johnson, just a lot smaller. In some ways, he considered him a close friend. They talked for hours when he'd go to the Armory. His family came from the Southern half of North America and he'd tell him about his adventures as a kid with his father. He missed him recently when he couldn't sleep. The man could have been a therapist. Wolf sifted through his thoughts, delving deep into a daydream. "Ben. You alright?" Arterious asked. "Yeah sorry, just got lost in thought for a sec." Wolf rolled his neck, trying to refocus. "Yeah, I see it. He didn't seem too pleased to have me aboard." Arterious nodded slightly. "He's one of the best Ben and he requested to stay aboard when he heard you were coming in as my EXO." Wolf was puzzled once again by the turn of events. "Why would he want to reopen that old wound?" "Maybe he is willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, I'm not sure. Is it going to be a problem though?" Arterious asked. Shaking his head Wolf wasn't honestly sure, but he wasn't going to tell Arterious that. "No, everything should be alright."

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P.S.- I appreciate your support and I hope you continue to read as I write this story. I work a lot of hours and I try to find time to finish my chapters. If you guys find any mistakes please shoot me a message and let me know so I can fix it, I don't have a Beta Reader and could probably use one. Lol. Anyways thanks guys.


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